Candace Queen

Candace Queen

2015 honoree

This was my third time applying for the Bill Sharp Award. Finally receiving it serves as confirmation to myself that I’ve grown immensely over the past few years and have found my purpose in this industry. The award has not only provided me with monetary assistance to pursue my project, but access to an amazing pool of intellectual capital. Since receiving the award, I’ve been contacted by so many heavy hitters in the industry, excited to help me develop not just this idea, but also other projects that I’m pursuing.

My masters’ thesis focused on identifying the ideal strategy, messaging tone and media mix needed to persuade African-Americans to live healthy lifestyles, encouraging them to implement sustainable food practices into their daily routine. I submitted my research and proposed solution, a multi-faceted lifestyle brand and campaign, to the Clinton Global Initiative University program, and it was accepted as a Commitment to Action.

I plan to use this award to fund the ongoing project. This includes costs to continue research and consumer testing, as well as fees to establish a business entity. This project is serving as my first step towards my long-term goalof creating my own agency centered on cause marketing.